Waimea United Church of Christ

Luke 17:1-10“What We Ought”

Let us
begin with the proper translation of this text, please. The first part of the
message from Jesus tells us that we will stumble. The word that is here and is
again repeated in the next verses is σκανδαλιζω,
which is exactly as it sounds “scandal.” We are going to find ourselves
tripping over scandals! We are not wearing sandals on our feet but kind of
scandals. Or, here on the island we call them “slippahs” because we are always
slipping up!

One of you
came to me this last week and mentioned that you were reading the New Testament
by Eugene Petersen. This is a modern prose version of the New Testament. I went
to go see how he translated this idea of “stumbling block.” He uses the term
“hard times.” Yes, we are all going to have hard times, scandalous moments, or
however you want to put it. We are all going to slip up. I think that does not
need further explanation; we surely all agree.

Jesus goes
on to point out that the greater scandal, or slip up, is if we cause another
lesser to stumble into sin. The word here for “little ones” in the Greek is
simply μικρος which I deem to refer to those who
are newer to the faith. We can call these the “micro-Christians.” Some preachers
call them “baby Christians.” I like the term “Micro-Christians” better. These
are people who have just been introduced to a new relationship with Jesus.
There faith is budding, but not yet blossoming. When Jesus says this to his
disciples, then he is obviously referring to the greater crowd in his hearing.

It would be
better for a millstone to be placed around your neck and you were to be thrown
into the sea if you caused another to slip up. Now, you all know that I
enjoying swimming and so much the more swimming in the ocean. Many times I have
pulled things up from the bottom of the sea. I have collected goggles,
facemasks, glasses, watches, various signage; I once pulled an entire tent up
from the bottom of the sea. It was filled with sand. Recently the firefighters
were practicing here at the Waimea pool having to pull bodies up from the
bottom of the pool. They used a rubber brick. I tried to pick it up, too, just
for fun. I could bring it up, but then it sank me back down. I could not swim
with it.

The fact of
the matter is that I believe that we were made to walk on water. John 6:16 and
on tells the story of Jesus walking on the water. I often think about when
people on Oahu plan meetings or appointments for us here on Kauai, expecting us
to hop on a plane and rent a car and get there by ourselves, that they must
think that everyone on Kauai can simply walk on water! Well, I think we can.
But, why walk when you can swim? It is even easier! Unless you are being
dragged to the bottom by your own failings.

Now verse
three is a bit contentious indeed. Jesus tells us that we must rebuke our
brothers if they should sin. The word here is “brother” in the Greek. I know
our NRSV pew Bibles say “disciple,” but look at that footnote at the bottom of
the page! I do not like to rebuke others, but sometimes we have no choice. When
we know that that person is about to stumble or has already stumbled, then we
must take them aside and warn them that they are transgressing God’s Law. It is
better that they get a speeding ticket than get into a crash, right? That is
the way that I like to look at it.

Just this
last week, the scripture really spoke to me when I had to decide with someone I
care about if I should rebuke a decision she had made. She had come to me first
asking for advice. When I counseled against what she was planning on doing, the
reaction was “I only told you because I thought you would support the idea.”
She went ahead and did it despite my counseling against it. So, if you do not
like the term “rebuke,” you are welcome to say “counsel against an idea,” or
“correct a person.” Somewhat implied by the Greek is “put the fear of God into
that person again.” That is really what “rebuking” is; you are reminding folks
that there is God and that God cares about what you are doing in this moment.

The other
option that I was thinking about this last week rather than rebuking was simply
walking away from the relationship. That really is the choice most of the time
when we see others sinning, is it not? We either engage the person and remind
of God, or we go into a broken relationship mode with that person, that may in
itself be considered sinful. The option to rebuke is our best option rather
than landing ourselves into more sin.

When we
rebuke another, however, it is with the hope that that other person will ask to
be forgiven. We call this “repentance.” A well-tuned rebuke will lead to
repentance and the opportunity of the forgiveness of the transgression.

Jesus
continues on to note to his disciples that if a brother transgresses 7 times in
one day, then you must rebuke and seek repentance with the hope of
forgiveness—how many times? 7 times in one day?

Modern
conflict management techniques will tell you that if someone keeps on making
the same mistake with you, and then asks again and again for forgiveness, that
this is a type of pathology that must be addressed. Like the child who hits,
says “sorry,” then hits six more times, each time saying “sorry,” we are not
doing a favor by accepting that apology.

Repentance
is more than just saying “sorry.” It is a true turning of the heart. It is
putting your life straight again, if even for just that brief time before the
next time of scandal or slip up. That is for us to judge with others. If one
truly repents, then we are commanded by our faith in Christ, to forgive. Be
ready for that. That can be the hardest thing to do. Yet, we are commanded here
to forgive even up to seven times a day.

The last
part of the scripture that we heard this morning relates back to the preceding
text of the “Rich Man and Lazarus.” We are affirmed that we are invited to be
with God in heaven. Do you recall Luke 13:29? “Then people will. . . .come and
feast in the Kingdom of God.” So, a great banquet will be set before us in
heaven. Now, before we get too excited about this prospect of never-ending
heavenly food, what Jesus says next is critical to our participation in this
feast: We are still the servants of God! Now until forever and a day we are the
humble servants of the Lord. So, who is serving us this meal in heaven? We are
still serving the Lord! That is our place before God.

I really
love the way Jesus puts this in his talk with his disciples, and in fact if you
notice he refers to them now as apostles, not disciples. That is to say that in
this case they are no longer students but rather the ones tasked by God. “You
servants, when you are done plowing the fields and tending the sheep (an
obvious reference to doing ministry), then you will have to come and serve at
table because you are indeed my servants still.

When I was
in college at Cal State, I worked to pay tuition as a seafood chef. I recall
once my friends inviting me to come over after my eight-hour shift to cook a
meal for THEM! In a way it made sense, since I was the one who was the professional
chef, yet I also resented it because of course I was tired of cooking. I will
tell you once that even my home church asked me to make clam chowder for a
hundred people as a fundraiser. Again, this made sense in a way.

Guess what,
we do not after all the service we do for the Lord in this world get a free
pass when we finally meet the Lord in heaven! We will still be his servants. My
guess is that we will be serving one another up in heaven as a continuing sign
of our love of God.

Something
happened two weeks ago in the Bible Club at Waimea Canyon School that fits this
scripture so well. I think it has been 11 years that we have been hosting the
Bible Club at Canyon School. It is around a decade for sure. Always we like to
bring in a snack for the kids because they are in essence giving up their lunch
break to be there for the on-campus ministry.

When the
Bible Club had ten to fifteen students, then it was not a problem just to have
them get up and get their snacks at the table where we set it up. Then,
however, as the club grew to sometimes over sixty kids, our time of picking up
the snack meant that the bigger boys would push and shove to grab up the most
for themselves that they could out of fear that they might not get anything.
Usually the girls would be at the end of the rush, looking around at what might
be left.

So, I think
it was Kelly Braun who came up with the idea of selecting servers that would
then portion out the snacks while everyone else in the room remained seated.
This was the obvious answer to this problem. This worked so well. And, it was
biblical that we should serve one another.

What
happened two weeks ago? I was seated among the students as Clint was leading
the session that day. Out of the blue and for the first time ever in over a
decade, one of the students came up to me and asked if I would like a snack
too! Praise Jesus! Servant ministry was happening and being absorbed by the
next generation down.

I did thank
that boy who brought me the snack. However, note that it says here that God’s
servants should not be expecting a thank-you from God! All we may expect is an
affirmation apparently that we have served and done only what we ought to have
done.

You know,
when you are first married, you are always saying “thank you, dear” for this
and that. Then, after a few years of marriage that will stop. You might not
even notice it. It becomes simply that you do what it is that you know you
ought to do to serve your partner in marriage.

How long
has humankind been in covenant with the Lord? Are we still expecting God to
fawn over us when we do what we know we ought to do anyway? Do we really expect
God to give us old “chuck on the shoulder” while stating, “Thank you for not
murdering your neighbor and following all the other commands!” No. We simply
bow down in service. Amen.